Arbutus (Modern European) – London, England (8/10)
Oct 20th, 2007 by admin
[UPDATED: MARCH 2009 - please click here for my revisit review]
Arbutus has been on my wish list for a few months now, because of some excellent reviews and its convenient location – about 2 minutes from my office. Awarded a Michelin star earlier this year, it also came personally recommended by a friend who thought the food was divine when she had dinner here last week. She loved the crème brûleé and thought the cheapest Viognier was great value – a relief to know that you don’t have to spend loads on good wine.
My friend and I had lunch, arriving at 12.30 when it was still relatively quiet. I didn’t find it particularly noisy where we were sitting, although the tables were quite close to each other. The interior was pleasantly subtle but stylish (cream, wood and leather), while the service was friendly and dishes were explained with patience when asked.
What we ordered:
We settled for the 3 course set lunch at £15.50. This changes every week, with two choices of starter, main and pudding. Salad of pork knuckle with mustard dressing was not overly intense in flavour and accompanied by counterbalancing potatoes, while the English kale and potato soup was lovely and hearty, with plenty of texture.
Cornish pollock with artichoke puree and grilled fennel was delicate, while my fricassee of rabbit with carrots – what a classic combination! – was tasty and tender. I haven’t eaten rabbit since I was a young teen, so this was eventful.
The portions were a little on the meagre side, and I could have eaten a lot more. However the a la carte menu dishes looked far more substantial and I couldn’t take my eyes off one at the next table, to the extent that I had to ask a waiter what it was – the Plat du Jour Caillettes of pork (old fashioned meatballs), with carrot and potato puree.
Unfortunately I didn’t like my dessert of île flotante or floating island (meringue floating in creme Anglaise). It looked impressive enough, but the meringue was far too sweet. After two mouthfuls, my friend and I swapped and I had the Morbier cheese instead, which was delightfully strong, but not overpoweringly so.
The verdict?
We didn’t have wine, but the exciting thing about Arbutus is that wine can be ordered by the carafe (250ml or third of a bottle). Next time I’m going to try the a la carte menu as the dishes sound heavenly – risotto of red wine, raddichio and taleggio or bavette of beef, gratin dauphinoise and red wine sauce, and I can’t wait to sample their other desserts.
10 – Perfection, 9.5 – Sensational, 9 – Outstanding, 8.5 – Superb,
8 – Excellent, 7.5 – Very Good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 – Average
All the London restaurant reviews on World Foodie Guide
Contact Details:
Arbutus
63-64 Frith Street
London W1D 3JW
Tel: 020 7734 4545
info@arbutusrestaurant.co.uk
www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk
Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide
